Commentary, analysis and opinion.

New report details Comey plan to ambush Trump with Moscow sex allegation

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

The new IG report is devastating for Comey. His leak of other materials from his memos — sensitive law enforcement material from an ongoing investigation — violated Justice Department and FBI policies, as well as Comey’s own FBI employment agreement, the inspector general wrote. More broadly, Comey set a “dangerous example” for all FBI employees. If other bureau officials acted similarly, the report said, “the FBI would be unable to dispatch its law enforcement duties properly.”

(Byron York – Washington Examiner)  A just-released Justice Department inspector general’s report provides new details on a January 2017 plan by then-FBI Director James Comey, top bureau officials, and the nation’s intelligence chiefs to spring a scandalous allegation on President-elect Trump, quickly record his reaction, use a prearranged secure videoconference to discuss the information, and fit it all into the FBI’s ongoing (but unknown to Trump) “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation. Continue reading →

Three Reasons Why Jesus Did Not Go to Hell When He Died

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , ,

The most powerful verse that lays to rest the idea that God was not satisfied with Jesus’ death alone and required him to do more punishment in hell is found in Jesus’ own words from the cross in John 19:30 as John records the words of Jesus, “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

(Josh Buice – Delivered By Grace)  Anyone who has studied 1 Peter 3:18-22 understands that it’s a challenging passage of Scripture to exegete and teach. There are some rather difficult passages to unpack and yet, there is one specific line in that section of verses that has caused many people to embrace a false teaching about Jesus. Continue reading →

SBC President Says Stop Being a Pharisee, Pride, Materialism, Greater Sins Than Homosexuality

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , ,

“The Bible most certainly does treat homosexuality as more egregious than other sins. Homosexuality is the only sin that caused God to wipe two cities off of the face of the earth.” 

(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte)  When preaching a sermon on Romans 1 in January, the Southern Baptist president, J.D. Greear said other sins were more egregious than homosexuality. It was during that sermon that he infamously quoted the female pastor from Village Church, Jen Wilkin, Continue reading →

Watch Fake Tongues on Jim Bakker’s Program

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , ,

There is no hint whatsoever that the gifting of “tongues” is nonsense gibberish gobbledegook. Charismatics turn to 1 Corinthians 13:1 which speak of the “tongues of angels,” but Paul clearly was referring to fine oration and lofty speech. We know this because we see angels quite a bit in the Scripture and they are always speaking a human language (even when they’re seen in Heaven). It turns out that angels don’t speak gobbledegook either.

(Pulpit & Pen)  Just for the sake of a discernment exercise, do you want to hear what ‘fake tongues’ sounds like? Here you go. Continue reading →

Did Jesus struggle with his gender and his sexuality? Was he tempted to same-sex attraction?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , ,

Dani Treweek of The Gospel Coalition Australia interviewed same-sex attracted “Christian,” Ed Shaw, who’s one of the founders of Living Out Ministries. A brouhaha erupted over Shaw’s claim that Jesus “struggled” with His gender and sexuality. So TGC added a postscript to Treweeks article in an attempt to tamp down the strong reaction to what Shaw said about the Lord Jesus. According to Elizabeth Prata, in so doing TGC mishandled Scripture, specifically verses in Hebrews that say Jesus was tempted in every way. Before we get to Prata’s piece, in which she clears up the confusion, here’s the Editor’s Postscript:

In view of some strong reactions on social media to some of the material in this interview, the TGCA editorial panel would like to make clear that we are very grateful for the heroic stand of Christian leaders such as Ed Shaw who have been open and honest about their own struggles with sexuality while defending biblical standards of sexual practice. Continue reading →

Missing Elements in Our Discussions about Apostasy

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

“It is rare that people apostatize all of a sudden. Rather, there will almost always have been a long trajectory away from genuine Christian faith and practice and toward distinctly unChristian faith and practice. I expect that those who knew these men well, those who saw their lives up close, could tell of a slow drift rather than a sudden deconversion.” 

(Tim Challies)  For the past few weeks, apostasy has been a trending topic among Christians. Though the discussion has been spurred by the sad news of some well-known men revoking their Christian faith, the discussion is bringing about the positive effect of engaging a crucial but neglected subject. (Apostasy refers to people falling away from previously held Christian beliefs.) Continue reading →

Michael Brown is An Apologist for the Devil

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:10), and at every point possible, Michael Brown attacks that gift of the Third Person. Brown lamented that Bentley was publicly outed (again) as an adulterer and abuser. He wrote…”I have no comment on the most recent accusations against Todd, since I do not know what is false and what is true. But I do know this (and it applies especially to those of us in leadership): God gives us many opportunities to repent in private before allowing us to be exposed publicly.”

(Pulpit & Pen)  Michael Brown is a popular ‘Christian’ apologist who is right on some issues, but damnably wrong on others. But more than anything, Michael Brown is an apologist for the worst and most extreme occultism of hyper-charismania. If you’re paying close attention, you’ll see that Michael Brown is an apologist for the devil. Continue reading →

Seduced By Bethel Redding

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , ,

Some go to Bethel to “see God move.” Bethel’s “encounter” theology has propelled them into experiential mysticism and demonic manifestations purported to be the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon people. Bethel’s “glory cloud” and other manifestations have deceived those looking for signs and wonders to validate their beliefs, and experience some sort of touch from God. This obsession with signs and wonders has become an indispensable aspect of Bethel’s evangelism.

(Rick Becker – Famine In The Land) Jacob had his dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven at a city called Luz, which he renamed “Bethel”- meaning “house of God.” At a later stage in Israel’s history Jeroboam (first king of the northern kingdom) went off the map by ignoring God’s commands regarding worship. Jeroboam appointed his own priests, set up a golden calf at Bethel and seduced his people into idolatry…. Continue reading →

We’re Looking for the Harrisburg, PA, Pastor Born With Polio That Todd White Healed!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

“According to Todd White’s own story, it had to have happened from mid-2009 forward, when White was still working as an ice delivery man and he also had his dreadlock hairstyle.”

(Steven Kozar – Messed Up Church)  Todd White has recently appeared in a video where he tells the story of how he healed a pastor in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, of a leg that was three and a half inches too short. We want to hear from that man!

This man was the head pastor of a church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that taught against healing until Todd proved him wrong. Todd says that this man’s leg grew out immediately, and the pastor was forced to denounce his former disbelief in healing. Continue reading →

Todd Bentley Confirms Disqualifying Accusations in Public Confession

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , ,

“Bentley claims to have been working through these sins with appropriate restoration and repeatedly invoked the name of Rick Joyner as someone who has “been calling around to leaders” for him, which sounded like Joyner was basically doing Bentley’s crisis management.”

(Pulpit & Pen)  After a former staffer came out publicly with accusations about Todd Bentley’s ‘open marriage,’ homosexuality, and sexting, the evangelist went to Facebook to confirm some of the allegations and (vaguely) denying others.

THE ACCUSATIONS

Over the last 24-48 hours, alternative Christian websites like the Bible Thumping Wingnut, Reformation Charlotte, and Pulpit & Pen have written about accusations toward Bentley on behalf of Stephen Powell, a former colleague of Bentley who claims that he was engaged in the most despicable kinds of personal immorality. Continue reading →

What we need to know from the Horowitz report

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

“Republicans know the end result of the investigation, but they don’t know how it began. Yes, they know the official story of the start of what the FBI called Crossfire Hurricane — that it began with a foreign intelligence service (Australia) telling U.S. officials that Papadopoulos appeared to have foreknowledge of a Russian plan to release damaging information about Hillary Clinton. But they don’t think it’s the whole story.  That’s where Horowitz comes in.”

(Byron York – The Washington Examiner)  There will be much to learn in Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s upcoming report on the Trump-Russia investigation, but most of it will likely boil down to just two questions. One, how much did the Obama Justice Department spy on the Trump campaign? And two, was it justified? Continue reading →

The Gospel Coalition Promotes a Conference Pushing the Rainbow to Tweens

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , ,

“Why are some people Same Sex Attracted?” Shaw answers, “Well I am, and God is good and God has created me to be the person that I am. I can rage against that if I want to, but it isn’t particularly constructive. What I can do is see the good God has brought out of that and how he has used it in my life and other people’s lives to help me become more like Jesus, and to help them become more like Jesus…”

(Pulpit & Pen)  Watch out Christian parents. This Gospel Coalition author wants to help your 11 year old accept being gay as “a really, really positive thing.” Continue reading →

Confronting Neopaganism in the Culture and in the Church Part 1

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , , ,

“I am proposing to use two relatively neutral, descriptive terms, Oneism and Twoism, in order to avoid applying a narrow theological system that only a few of us could affirm. These terms seek to express the only two bedrock options found in Romans 1:25: either the worship and service of creation understood as closed, homogeneous system, or the worship and service by creation of the transcendent ontologically other Creator.”

(Peter Jones – The Aquila Report) We are living in a most disorienting time, especially since someone said that orientation is knowing where the East is! When I came to the States in 1964, the threat from the East was not spiritual but material—atheistic Marxism and a fear of the disappearance of religion altogether, predicted by Ludwig Feuerbach,[1] Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud…. Continue reading →

The Crisis Of Faith We Are Seeing In Today’s Christians

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , ,

“One of the problems with the “me-centred” gospel is that it only works well as long as everything is rosy in one’s life. But as soon as the wheels fall off and you encounter significant hardship of some kind, you can easily decide that Christianity “doesn’t work”. When the self-actualising hype that is fed to people from the pulpit doesn’t align with their experience of reality, they conclude that Christianity isn’t true.” 

(Kevin Simington – My Christian Daily)  There is a crisis of faith formation in the modern church. It has produced a generation of Christians with an emotionally based faith that is ill-equipped to respond to the intellectual challenges and objections raised by an increasingly secular society…. Continue reading →

Russell Moore Speaking at Event in Conjunction With Adoption Agency That Hands Children Over to Homosexuals

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , ,

“Jonathan Merritt once served on the national board of directors for Bethany…Merritt is the gay son of former Southern Baptist President, James Merritt. Now, why wouldn’t we want to support an adoption agency with homosexuals on its board who hands children over to homosexual couples?”

(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte)  We’ve been warning you for months that the gay Evangelical push for inclusion was leading down a dark path that no honest Christian in their right mind could support. A while back, we reported that The Gospel Coalition was platforming a gay Anglican priest, Sam Allberry, to push not only for homosexual inclusion in churches and church families but also for churches to back gay, single-parent adoption. Continue reading →

How to Clean Up Your School and Stop the Revolution

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“Get rid of teachers’ unions. Who’s the boss here? You are, taxpayer, and if parents get active, you can make sure the destructive, anti-child, anti-American policies of the NEA and its local affiliates don’t bleed all over your local school….After last year’s Supreme Court ruling, this once-Goliath group is much more vulnerable, and that’s our opportunity.”

(Linda Harvey – Mission: America)  The backpacks are loaded, the lunch boxes are filled.

What else will your child need this school year? Continue reading →

Why is an Affair with a Church Member ‘Clergy Sexual Misconduct?’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , ,

I believe there’s unity on this particular issue because of my view of pastoral authority. I believe that what the Scripture has to say about the role of spiritual leaders makes it abundantly clear from the Bible that there’s no such thing as a pastor-congregant “affair.”

(Pulpit & Pen)  Tullian Tchividjian, when defending his return to the pastorate after being defrocked by his Presbytery and fired from multiple churches for both adultery and subsequent cover-ups, claimed that having sexual relations with a church member was not “abuse.” He is wrong. Continue reading →

NY Times Piles Hate on America with the 1619 Project

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , ,

“The reason Donald Trump is hated and despised and feared is not just the Washington establishment. It is the worldwide globalist establishment. So in response to Trump, the New York Times, a leader in this globalist, “Let’s take America down a peg or two ’cause America doesn’t deserve her status” crowd has their new agenda that America’s true founding was when slaves first arrived, and everything that happened thereafter is basically criminal. The United States is a criminal state that has achieved its unwarranted power and prosperity on the backs of people of color.”

(Rush Limbaugh show transcript)  RUSH: We have some follow-ups from yesterday. I spent a lot of time, as you recall, yesterday on the New York Times attempting to rewrite American history and the founding of America as dating to 1619 when the slave trade arrived in North America. You talk about the state of modern-day journalism. Continue reading →

Popular, But False…Do Not Be Deceived

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Just because a speaker sounds good to you does not mean he is speaking the truth. Do not trust your heart. God’s Word tells us the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. As fallen, sinful human beings, we will always seek validation and permission for our wicked, sinful desires. Many will come, even in God’s name, to grant such permission and soothe our consciences, and such people will be very popular. But do not be deceived.”

(Rob Pue – Rapture Ready)  I remember watching Christian-based movies back in the 1970s and ‘80s having to do with the end times. They were not very well done, and I found one aspect of these movies to be a little bit hard to grasp. They always showed Christians under great persecution…. Continue reading →

SBC Leader and Mike Bickle Explain Why Fake Miracles Are Okay

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , ,

In the video provided, Mike Bickle—who was a member of the Kansas City Prophets and a “General” in the New Apostolic Reformation, discusses the apostasy of several prominent ex-Christian celebrities. But it’s about halfway through the video that it gets really interesting.

(Pulpit & Pen)  An up-and-coming Southern Baptist leader in the Missouri Baptist Convention sat down to do a video with two leaders in the International House of Prayer (IHOP) cult in Kansas City, Missouri. The three men, including the SBC pastor, discussed why fake miracles and ‘exaggerations’ in the charismatic movement are “worth it.” Continue reading →

Marianne Williamson’s presidential candidacy shines light on ‘A Course in Miracles’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

We recently posted a piece entitled “The Curious Mystical Text Behind Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Bid, that delved into the New Age guru’s background and examined the occult book she introduced in her New York Times Best Seller “A Return to Love.”

To the surprise of many, Williamson got a lot of attention during the second Democrat debate. Literally thousands Googled her. You can bet that many of those folks bought her books; likewise, they bought “A Course In Miracles.” For our subscribers who missed the story, we told you that the Course claims to be dictated by Jesus Christ Himself.  Nothing could be further from the truth. According to a CRI Statement: “It is intelligently organized and simply written. It appeals to personal pride and can become almost addicting emotionally. It is carefully designed for radically restructuring a person’s perception against Christian faith and toward New Age occultism.” Continue reading →

The Return of the Loch Ness Monster

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , ,

The propaganda distributors in Nazi Germany were experts in how to create myths surrounding racial accusations.  They were specialists in demonization.  As the despicable Nazi Joseph Goebbels once said: “if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.”

(Bill O’Reilly)  In 1933, most likely in a small, smoke-filled pub, someone came up with the idea of creating a giant lake bound creature to attract attention to a remote region in central Scotland.

Continue reading →